111IMMMMM BACKKKK and I'm so so sorry for the delay *hides behind my laptop screen* Life and writer's block had gotten in the way it always as it does but here it is, I hope you like it.
"Wow! Aaron Judge! He's my favorite!" Noah exclaimed excitedly as he pulled the pinstriped jersey out of the shopping bag.
Olivia couldn't help the smile that beamed from her face as she watched Ed smile proudly at the joy his gift brought the little boy. "I know, your mom told me." He chuckled as he bent down to be eye level with the boy, glancing up at Olivia who was beaming down at them. Relaxed fit jeans hung perfectly from his hips, a gray yankees shirt stretched across his tight chest and his eyes shone brightly up at her from under the brim of his navy blue baseball cap.
Throwing his arms around Ed's neck, Noah clung to the older man with the jersey trapped between them. "I'm gonna go put it on now!" He declared as he pulled away before darting to his bedroom.
The two of them watched him disappear down the hallway, Ed rising from his crouched position as Olivia secured her earrings on each side. "You just made that boy's entire month." She smiled as she approached him, his eyes devouring her in the fitted, deep fuchsia dress.
Shrugging, he wrapped his hands around her slender waist as he pulled her body against his. "Kid can't go to his first Yankees game without authentic pinstripes."
"I can't thank you enough for taking him tonight." She whispered, her hands wrapping around his neck.
With one hand still on her waist, the other came up to grip the brim of his hat to turn it backwards so it no longer obstructed the space between them. He leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers as she played with the short hair at the nape of his neck. "Cole has season tickets." He explained, licking his lips as his eyes searched her face. "It's really not that big of a deal."
Her brown eyes sparkled as she looked at this incredibly selfless man in front of her. "It is a big deal, to him." She said, her eyes shifting in the direction of Noah's bedroom as her lips closed around his. "And to me." She whispered against his lips as she pressed her body against his.
Humming against her mouth, he pulled away and help her out in front of him to drink her in. "You look amazing, Liv", he smiked, noting the way her hair was swept along one of her shoulders and how her subtle make up lit up her face before his eyes shifted downward. "That dress...", he breathed with a slight shake of his head.
Ed's adoring eyes shifted and suddenly became distant as he looked away. "Hey", she whispered, bringing her hand to his cheek. "This is just something I have to do. I'm yours, okay?" She said, her warm brown eyes boring into his as her thumb ran along his thin lower lip. His eyes closed and he slowly nodded his head before pulling her close to bury his face in her neck.
The comfort of their embrace surrounded them and they stood their for several minutes, his breath puffing against the skin of her neck as her hand smoothed against the back of his head. She pulled back and looked him, her palms against his rugged cheeks. "It doesn't matter who sees me in this dress tonight, you will be the one taking it off of me."
The corners of his thin lips pulled up at her words, she always knew the right thing to say. He brushed the back of his knuckles along the bare column of her neck as his face neared hers. Just as his lips were about to meet hers there was a knock at the door.
Releasing a heavy sigh, his forehead fell against hers and she let out a chuckle at his frustration as her hand came up to pat his firm chest. As she turned to answer the door Noah came running out of his room and up to Ed. "Look! I found my key, it was in Mama's room." The boy exclaimed, holding it up for him to see.
Kneeling down, Ed inspected the key and his face hardened as he saw the cartoon dog etched into the metal. His mind was working so fast that he didn't even realize Olivia had been calling his name. "Tuck", she sing-songed and he straightened and raised his eyebrows at her in acknowledgment.
The sight of Chief Dodds standing so close to her in the entryway made his entire body stiffen as he felt Noah's small hands grip the fabric of his jeans from where he stood behind him.."I shouldn't be more than a couple of hours." She explained, tucking her clutch under her arm as she approached him. She placed a gentle hand on his chest as she reached up and placed a kiss to the corner of his mouth. Ed's steely eyes stared down Dodds as he brought a hand up to her lower back as she pressed herself against him, the tips of his fingers resting against the swell of her backside. "I'll call you when I'm on my way home."
As she pulled back, Olivia saw the grim expression on his face but before she could say anything she noticed Noah cowering behind Ed's legs. She crouched down as much as her dress would allow. "Are you okay, Noah?" she asked, her eyebrows knitting together in worry. He nodded unconvincingly as his eyes shifted between her and the doorway. "Are you sure?" She implored, running her hand over his dark hair,
Instead of replying Noah just threw his arms around her neck and hugged her tightly. "I don't want you to go." He whispered into her neck.
"I'll be back soon", She reassured, rubbing her hand along his little back before pulling back and looking at him. "And you're gonna have so much fun with Tucker, okay?" Noah nodded despite the tears that were pooling at the corner of his eyes. "Oh, it'll be okay, sweet boy." She soothed, peppering his face with kisses.
Standing up, she faced Ed as Dodds watched them from across the living room. "His separation anxiety acts up sometimes." She spoke lowly under her breath.
Ed placed his hands on her shoulders and maneuvered so his back was facing the other man, his face serious and his voice low. "We need to talk..."
"Lieutenant", Dodds interrupted from his place in the entryway. "We have to get going."
Nodding, she slipped past Ed and turned back to him as she made sure she had everything in her clutch. "I'm sorry, Tuck. We'll talk when I get home, okay?" She said as she blew a kiss to Noah.
Before Ed knew it, she slipped out the door while Dodds lingered in the doorway. "See ya, Tuck." He spat as his lips pulled back to bare his teeth in a devilish grin. The words lingered in the air as he turned and left, the sound of the door slamming echoing through the apartment.
White hot anger surged his body and he could feel it rising against the back of his neck as he stared at the closed door. For a moment, he thought the animosity was vibrating from his body until he realized two little hands were gripping his pant leg and those trembling hands belonged to Noah.
Kneeling down in front of the young boy, Ed's heart ached as he saw the endless tears streaming down his cheeks. "No, what is it?' He asked softly, placing his hands on his small shoulders. The boy could barely catch his breath at the rate the sobs were leaving his lips. He pulled him into a warm hug and whispered soothingly in his hair.
When Ed could feel Noah's sobs subside, he pulled away and placed his large hands on each of his cheeks. Pressing his trembling lips together, Noah took a steadying breath through his nose before speaking. "The monster...", he squeaked. "I don't want him to hurt my mommy again."
As soon as the words dissipated into the air, Ed's blood ran cold. Everything was falling into place. Noah was shifting in front of him and that when Ed saw it, the wetness marking the inseam of the boy's jeans. Something had frightened him so much that he wet himself and Ed had a feeling he knew exactly what. "Who's the monster, bud? Tell me." He pleaded lowly.
Slowly, he lifted his arm and pointed a small finger at the closed door to the apartment. "The man that took mommy, he's the one that hurt her. She was bleeding , I called for help."
"Noah, are you sure?" He implored and Noah nodded undoubtedly with wide eyes. Without another word, Ed scooped him up and carried him down the hallway.
Bursting into the child's room, Ed placed him down on the floor before rummaging through the dresser for a clean pair of pants. Finding them, he kneeled down in front of him and began helping Noah change. "Tuck", he squeaked as Ed pulled the sweatpants up his legs. He looked at the boy and the way his bottom lip wouldn't stop quivering. "Are you gonna save mommy from the monster?"
Placing his hands on either side of his neck, Ed looked directly into his eyes. "I will not let anything happen to your mom, I promise." He vowed, pulling him close and pressing his lips to his forehead. When the boy nodded, Ed picked him up, grabbed his keys and dashed out of the apartment.
A loud and urgent knocking came from the front door and Amanda rushed to answer as fast as her rounded figure would allow. Opening the door, she saw Ed standing there with Noah clinging to his side. "I need you to take Noah." Ed stated, his eyes fierce and urgent despite his calm manner.
"Of course", she said as she ushered the boy inside the apartment. "Why don't you go and turn on the tv. Sonny is just getting Jesse into her pj's, she should be out soon." Noah nodded and headed into the living room. "What's going on?" She asked lowly, once Noah was out of ear shot.
"When Liv got hurt, it wasn't an accident." Ed explained as he ran a hand down his weary face. "Noah saw it all, he said it was Dodds. Liv is with him now. I gotta go."
Worry washed over her face and she reached out and grabbed his arm. "Wait, you shouldn't go alone."
Just as the words left her mouth, Sonny appeared from the hallway. His eyebrows pulled together in question as he placed Jesse down with Noah and walked to the pair by the door. "Is everything okay?" He asked, planting his hands on his hips.
"It was Dodds", Amanda informed, placing a hand on his bicep. "I knew it wasn't an accident. I've got the kids, go with Ed."
Without hesitation, Sonny nodded and slipped on his shoes quickly. With a quick kiss on her cheek, he was out the door and hot on Ed's heels at they mad their way down the hallway.
Olivia's heels clicked against the cement of the side walk as she and Chief Dodd's made their way down the block towards the ballroom. She found herself subconsciously walking ahead of him, feeling somewhat uneasy with him so close. That didn't stop him from trying to match her pace.
When he reached her side, he wasted no time in placing his hand on her lower back as they walked. "Chief", she warned amicably, giving him a forced smile.
"C'mon, you can call me Will. You have plenty of times before." He flirted, his hand migrating south as he pulled her against him.
Pressing her hands against his chest, she pushed him away. "I said enough! I told you I'm here as a colleague, nothing more." She said sternly.
His face hardened and something flashed in his eyes that made her blood run cold. He looked down the street at all their oblivious colleagues entering the building, sucking his teeth before grabbing her and pulling her down the dark alleyway next to them. His rough hands gripped her upper arms as he shoved her back against the hard brick wall.
The shock that flashed in her eyes was quickly replaced with outrage. Just as she opened her mouth, he took the heel of his palm and shoved it into the wounded side of her rib cage causing her to gasp out in agony. Dodds' sharp teeth dug into his bottom lip in an evil smile as he watched her buckle against the wall in sheer white hot pain.
"You may not remember what happened that night, but I promise you will remember this." He hissed, his hot breath puffing against her ashen face as her vision blurred with anguish.
Taking a deep breath, Olivia reached up and wiped the fog from the bathroom mirror as she adjusted the towel around her damp body. She took a minute to look at herself in the mirror. Her hair hung wet against her shoulder, her lips were set in a hard line and her eyes, they just looked... tired. Opening up the medicine cabinet, she reached up and grabbed her toothpaste and when she closed it, what she saw made her jump.
There in the mirror, she saw the reflection of Chief William Dodds and her stomach dropped. Turning around and taking a step back, she clutched the towel to her chest as his eyes looked her up in down. "Will, what are you doing here? I thought you left."
"You can't get rid of me that easily." He replied as he took a step forward, his eyes trained on her face.
Something about his voice made her stomach drop and she felt the hairs stand at the back of her neck. "You need to go. I believe I made myself clear." She stated firmly, pointing towards the door.
"I don't think you were clear at all." He countered, standing his ground.
She sighed and secured the towel tighter around herself, feeling vulnerable under his gaze. "I told you that we are done. Whatever we were."
Taking another step towards her, he cornered her against the wall as his hardened eyes stared her down. "It's Tucker isn't it?" He questioned, his voice low and harsh. "You're still hung up on that mick."
Rage flared in her eyes and before she could open her mouth to react, he grabbed her hair and yank her head back. His other hand found her throat and she gasped for air as she clawed at his forearm, the towel falling to the floor. "You forget that I've felt what it feels like to be inside you and when I'm done with you you won't even remember that bastard's name." He spat, his nose dragging along her cheekbone as she struggled for breath.
Thrusting his leg up, he kneed her hard in her left side and she choked out as she struggling to take in a breath. He heard a noise out in the apartment and when he whipped around he saw a small figure scurrying away. "Fuck", he roared, letting her go completely.
The dizziness invading her mind didn't allow her enough time to catch herself and her face smashed into the corner of the vanity and she was still. He looked down to see the dark crimson of her blood staining the stark white tiles. Grabbing the towel from around her body before the blood tainted it, he hung it up on the rack and maneuvered the lower half of her body so it looked like she was coming out of the tub.
Quickly exiting the bathroom, he made his way towards the entryway way when he noticed Noah's backpack by the front door. Ripping open the bag, he rummaged through it until he found what he was looking for. He looked down at the key in his palm with a devilish grin on his face before shoving it in his pocket and slipping through the door.
Briskly approaching the entrance to the hall, Ed walked up to the group of NYPD officials that lingered around the lobby with Carisi ot on his heels. "Hey, fellas. Have you seen Chief Dodds come through here yet?"
Receiving a chorus of "no's" and several shakes of the head in response, Ed's intent suddenly became tunnel vision as he moved down the block. Sonny watched Ed move about the block, his eyes darting between everyone that passed him in search of Olivia. A clatter echoed from the alley just down the block and Ed turned to face Sonny, a look of panic marring his handsome features.
Another loud bang sounded from alley and the two men sprang into action, sprinting towards the narrow passage. What Ed saw there in the dim lighting ripped his heart out. Dodds had Olivia pinned against the brick wall, one of his hands pressed into her side, the other forearm pressed to her throat as his knee forced her legs open.
"Get the hell off of her!" Ed shouted, lunging forward. The sudden outburst caused Dodds to whip around, his forearm slipping from her throat. Olivia gasped for breath as her eyes came into focus, seeing Ed and Sonny rushing towards them. She was suddenly free from his offending hands as Sonny roughly pulled him off of her and she felt Ed's strong arms around her before she could hit the ground.
Olivia's weakened hands clung to him as he held her against him. "Ed", she croaked, barely audible due to her coarse throat.
"Shhh, it's okay. I've got you." He murmured into her hair as he held her up.
Ed's eyes hardened as he watched Sonny pressed Dodds against the brick wall, cuffing his hands behind his back. "William Dodds, you're under arrest for assaulting a police officer."
"Assault?" He scoffed over his shoulder. "She wanted it."
The words sparked a fire inside him and in seconds Ed had him pressed up against the wall as Sonny moved to pull Olivia into his side. "She never wanted you, you sadistic bastard." He spat lowly, practically nose to nose with him as he white knuckled the lapels of his suit jacket. "Even when you were inside of her she was thinking of me. And she sure as hell didn't want you to bash her head into the counter, you sick son of a bitch."
When Olivia could hold herself up, Sonny reached the two men and gently pulled Ed away. "Go to Liv, I've got him." Looking back at her with her hands at her reddening throat and tears in her eyes, he briefly closed his eyes and nodded.
As Ed released his grip on him, Sonny stepped in and turned him around to press his front against the rough brick. With one hand holding the handcuffs, he pulled out his cell phone and quickly dialed before bringing it to his ear. "This is SVU detective Dominic Carisi, badge number 0-1-8-8. We need a squad car in the area of 8-0 5th avenue. One in custody."
"Are you alright?" Ed rasped as he reached Olivia, his eyes narrowing as they surveyed her. Taking a steadying breath, she nodded as his hand grasped her chin and tilted her head to inspect her face. She hissed through clenched teeth and she gripped her side as a sharp pain ripped through her, leaning against him for support.
With his cell phone still held against his ear, Carisi noticed Ed holding Olivia up as she was practically doubled over in pain. "Also, getting a bus rolling for an adult female post assault eval."
Remembering what she said about pressure making her bruised ribs feel better, he maneuvered her back so it was against the wall and then pressed against her side. "Does this feel better?" He asked, pushing the hair back from her forehead. She nodded, her hands gripped his lower back and holding him against her as her eyebrows furrowed together.
"Ed", she whispered, getting his attention. His concerned eyes looked down into hers as his hand threaded his hand through her hair to cradle the back of her head. "Thank you", she breathed.
Nodding, he pressed his lips against her forehead before she leaned her face against his strong chest.
Settling into his side of the bed, Ed sighed heavily through his nose as he took in the sight of Olivia sleeping in front of him. Half of her face was buried in the pillow, her lips slightly pursed as her long eyelashes rested against the apples of her cheeks. His fingers itched to touch her but he knew that she needed her sleep more than anything.
"You're not going to sleep at all tonight, are you?" She croaked, her bloodshot eyes fluttering open.
Despite the solemnness his eyes held, the corner of his lips quirked up in a lopsided grin. "No", he rasped with a slight shake of his head. "How are you feeling?"
Her brow furrowed as she shifted slightly on the bed. "Headache is tolerable. Side is still tender." She explained.
Reaching for the hem of her oversized shirt, his hand stilled against the fabric as his eyes met hers. "Can I?" He asked, his voice almost as soft as his eyes. She nodded quietly and he carefully lifted up her shirt until it was bunched under her breasts. The sight of the deep purple blotch marring her skin causing a ping of guilt to tug at his heart.
Maneuvering down the bed, he stopped when he was eye level with her injured side. He glanced up at her and her brown eyes watched as he leaned forward, his lips whispering against the tender flesh. Her breath caught in her throat and she brought her hand to the back of his head as his warm breath caused a wave of goosebumps to break out across her skin.
"Ed", she breathed, the word dissipating into the air as soon as it left her lips. When he heard her whisper, he made his way back up the bed and laid on his side next to her.
A silence fell between them as they stared into each others eyes. He brought a hand up and pushed stray hair behind her ear causing her eyes to flutter shut. "I'm sorry." He whispered, his solemn eyes searching her face. Her eyes shot open to see his face set in a hard line. "I should've never let you leave with him, I had a feeling..."
Placing her hands on his cheeks, she brought his face to hers and pressed her forehead against his. She shook her head as her thumbs rubbed along his sharp cheekbones. "It wasn't you, it was me. You were trying to warn me and I was too stubborn to listen." She paused, pressing her lips together as she shook her head slightly. "I always thought I had good judgement. How could I subject Noah to someone like that?" As the words left her trembling lips, tears welled up in her eyes. "I'm a terrible mother."
"Liv", he said sternly but she interrupted him by shaking her head. Sighing, he pulled he against him and held her as she weeped into his chest until her tears subsided moments later. "Wait here", he murmured into her hair before crawling off the bed. She watched as he moved towards the door, his pajama pants hanging low on his hips as the pale skin of his torso shone in the moonlight.
Moments later, Ed reentered the bedroom with a sleeping Noah clinging to his chest. She watched as he laid him down in the center on the bed and crawled in himself so the by was between the two of them. Without even opening his eyes, Noah instinctually turned and nuzzled into Olivia's chest.
She looked up from her son to the man laying in front of her with tears in her eyes. "People make mistakes, Liv", Ed stated as he rubbed the boy's back. "Noah loves you and he will come out of this unscathed, I'm sure of it."
"Really?" She asked as their hands joined over the young boy between them. "I can't believe I ever thought he compared to you."
Bringing his hand to her cheek, he silenced her by pressing his thumb against her lips. "It doesn't matter", he stated with a shake of his head. "We're here now. Do you want to be with me?" He asked and she nodded, kissing the calloused pad of is thumb. "I love you, Olivia Margaret Benson. Noah does too. We can get through anything together, the three of us."
Careful not to disturb Noah, she leaned forward and pressed her lips against his. "I love you too, Tuck." She whispered against his mouth.
All three of them stayed like that the entire night, huddled together on the queen sized bed. As Olivia's eyelids grew heavy, the last thought she remembered passing through her brain before sleep took over.
This is where we belong.
THE END
Sorry, once again, for the delay. I would really appreciate your feedback. Don't worry I have several plot bunnies floating around in my head so I will see you soon!
